Vince Gilligan’s Bold Move Saved Saul Goodman from Being Cut from Breaking Bad!

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The TV series “Better Call Saul” serves as a textbook illustration of a successful spinoff that rivals its original in storytelling quality, and it played a significant role in transforming Bob Odenkirk, formerly known from “Mr. Show,” into a powerful dramatic actor. However, as is common with exceptional television series, a misguided network suggestion almost eliminated the character of Saul Goodman from existence before he could introduce his unique sleaziness to some of “Breaking Bad”‘s finest episodes.

Better Call Saul Vs. Breaking Bad: Which Is The Better Overall Series

In the upcoming behind-the-scenes book “Saul Goodman vs. Jimmy McGill: The Critical Companion to Better Call Saul,” written by Alan Sepinwall and due out on February 4, 2025, Peter Gould (co-creator of Better Call Saul and esteemed Breaking Bad writer) revealed an intriguing piece of information. During the creation of Season 2, Gould confessed that he wasn’t completely sure about the tone they were aiming for and sought guidance from creator Vince Gilligan.

Initially, the concept for Saul Goodman, the lawyer character portrayed by Bryan Cranston’s Walter White, was developed too extensively during the planning stage. This is according to the show’s creators, as Peter Gould described it.

It appears that Vince was exploring the direction of the show, which led us to create this character. In brainstorming sessions, we generated ideas that were even more outlandish than what eventually made it into the series. One concept involved a pneumatic tube for his earnings going directly to the bank. There were numerous such wild ideas floating around. However, Vince introduced the name “Saul Good,” and one of the other writers suggested “Saul Goodman.” Another writer then proposed “LWYRUP” as a license plate. These suggestions quickly resonated with each other.

Growing up, the concept of pneumatic tubes seemed like an exciting fantasy, so I would wholeheartedly embrace it. However, let’s move on from that topic now.

In his discussion, Peter Gould expressed that contrary to being initially envisioned as an independent character who could grow this crime drama series, Saul Goodman was essentially intended to serve a purpose for Walt’s narrative, even though this role turned out to be more entertaining than originally anticipated. This unexpected turn raised some concerns about how the sleazy character would fit into the otherwise grave storyline. And as Gould stated, these apprehensions were indeed validated.

Initially, was there a sense that he would have a lasting role in the series? To be frank, while penning the script, I grew quite apprehensive. I became anxious because I fretted over the possibility of making a character too outlandish and comedic, which might’ve been too much for what I perceived as a rather realistic show. Granted, it had its own unique realism, if you catch my drift. My concerns intensified during our initial meeting with an unnamed executive on a conference call. Vince and I received feedback suggesting they were not fond of the character, and inquired if we could rework the episode’s storyline with a different character instead.

It’s infuriating when a superior boss, seemingly unaware of the effort invested, casually suggests starting an entire project from scratch again. However, let me correct myself – it’s not exactly love that I’m talking about; rather, it’s more like simmering frustration!

It’s fortunate that Vince Gilligan chose to advocate for the vibrant lawyer character, enabling the creation of top-tier episodes of Better Call Saul, which will continue to amuse audiences indefinitely, as stated by Gould.

In a different scenario, if Vince hadn’t firmly supported the script and character, there might have been a situation where we were forced to discard that particular episode. However, those on the call, acknowledging Vince’s authority, chose to relent instead.

It seemed like the most drastic change in decision-making regarding Bob Odenkirk’s character in “Breaking Bad” could have been Saul transitioning from a job at Hot Topic to working at Cinnabon. However, what just happened surpasses that level of “How on earth did they come up with that idea?

With an AMC+ subscription, you can stream every episode of both “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul.” If one day it seems like “Better Call Saul” has vanished, that’s a sign you might have accidentally entered the parallel universe where AMC executives’ wishes came true. Stay safe on your journey back home!

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2025-01-30 23:07